Sipping green tea was not only good for heart health, but also can improve your memory.

So that was presented by scientists from China.

A recent study found that the chemical properties of green tea can promote the generation of brain cells that provide benefits for memory and spatial learning.

Study leader, Professor Bai Yun of Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China said, there are a lot of scientific concern about its use in helping to prevent cardiovascular disease.

However, there is now emerging evidence that its chemical properties can influence cellular mechanisms in the brain.

In the research, Professor Yun and his team focused on EGCG (epigallocatechin-3 gallate), organic chemicals found in green tea.

Organic chemistry, he added, can improve cognitive function by influencing generations of neurons, a process known as neurogenesis.

“The focus of our research on the hippocampus, the part of the brain that processes information from short term to long term memory,” said professor Yun.

And the result, the research team found that ECGC increases the production of neural progenitor cells, namely, stem cells are able to adapt to different types of cells. They then used a mouse model to determine whether this increased cell production benefit memory and spatial learning.

“We conducted tests in two groups of mice, one of which has been absorb ECGC and a control group (without ECGC),” said Yun.

Rats were trained for three days to find a visible platform in their labyrinth. Then they were trained for seven days to find the hidden platform.

The team found that rats ECGC take a little time to find the hidden platform than rats not given organic chemistry. These results suggest that EGCG can improve learning and memory by enhancing object recognition and spatial memory.